First Gen Corporation has partnered with cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, Inc. to supply renewable geothermal energy to the latter’s production plants.
In a report by Business Mirror, First Gen said it would supply geothermal energy to Holcim’s facilities located in Bunawan, Davao City, and Lugait, Misamis Oriental to cover 22% of the electricity requirements.
First Gen chief operating officer Francis Giles B. Puno said that decarbonization is a challenging journey, and partnering with Holcim Philippines is the right direction for pursuing sustainable growth.
Puno added that this endeavor goes beyond just supplying power. It includes finding ways to optimize electricity usage and working together towards a net-zero future.
This collaboration between First Gen and Holcim falls under the implementation of the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) in Mindanao. RCOA permits eligible power consumers with a monthly peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts to select their electricity supplier.
Meanwhile, Holcim Philippines president and CEO Nicolas George said that this collaboration is a milestone in their 65% renewable energy target by 2030.
The electricity for Holcim will be sourced from the geothermal power plant in North Cotabato, operated by First Gen’s subsidiary, Energy Development Corp.
Holcim Philippines operates cement manufacturing plants in La Union, Bulacan, Misamis Oriental, and Davao, along with aggregates, dry mix businesses, and technical support facilities for building solutions.
Currently, First Gen boasts a total capacity of 3,668 megawatts (MW) from its 30 power plants, which include 26 facilities powered by solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. It also operates four natural gas power plants with a combined capacity of over 2,000 MW.
